Lula wins Brazil runoff, secures historic fourth term
Why it matters: The result keeps Latin America’s biggest economy under the left and extends Lula’s comeback after jail and a 2022 return.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential runoff on Sunday, securing an unprecedented fourth term after official results showed him with more than 51% of the vote and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro with more than 48% as counting passed 96%. The vote capped a bitter race with broad stakes for Brazil’s democracy, social spending and the Amazon rainforest. Election day was chaotic: both campaigns pushed to extend voting hours, and Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin ordered polls to stay open two extra hours after complaints about reduced bus service and heavy rain. In some places, though, electronic voting machines had already been shut down, leaving some voters unable to cast ballots.